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crisscross traditional French village layoutValbonne Village
"Ideal spot for "ladies who lunch""
Valbonne village is the essential meeting point for the expatriate anglophone community drawn to more affordable property in the valleys around Grasse and Vence. Blessed with casual alfresco dining tables, the central square is a perfect lunchtime venue, dominated by British wives and girlfriends, all with time on their well-manicured hands.
Eavesdropping the conversations, you begin to pick up helpful tips how to fill your day when you have little else to do. Small tasks like buying croissants and baguettes requires a drive to "that little boulangerie" in Villeneuve. Lots of talk about home improvements, friends coming to stay, and going off to visit friends.
Occasionally the small talk drifted to husbands and partners. One saw her husband only every three months on leave from his job in Saudi in the oil industry. (Nice work, girl!) Another, her day filled with shopping, spa sessions, pampering, dining out, only the finest: "dinner last night at the Hotel de Paris" Monaco's most expensive venue. Many of the assembled were likely wives and girlfriends of executives at the big multinational corporations in the Science Park of Sophia Antipolis nearby. For the fortunate, nothing quite so vulgar as work itself: hubby took care of all that. The good life, how the other half (percent) live.
Many places around the Riviera are good for people-watching. This was the first I found to be pretty good for people-listening.
"Criss Cross Town"
Valbonne Village is tiny compared to major towns like Vence nearby. Layed out like an urban crossword puzzle, a simple pattern ten streets across and five streets down, with a focal point in the centre consisting of a large open square with three or four casual but classy bar brasserie restaurants.
No medieval rabbit warren like Haut de Cagnes, much of the housing dates back to the eighteen sixties, and everything is in matching period style. No tower blocks or social problems in this affluent little place, which adds to its appeal.
The village's main industry seems to be property, real estate, and rental management. "I'm looking for a long term let, villa with pool.." boomed a british voice in proper Surrey intonation from within one immobillier. A few artist ateliers and home decor shops mingle with small evening-only restaurants, and the essential boulangerie.
All in all it must be a nice place to live, though of much more limited interest to tourists. Which I guess suits the residents just fine.
"How to get there..."
The village has prominent car parking around its periphery - because basically that is how people here get around - by car. It wasn't until my tenth year on the Riviera that I made the tricky journey from Nice, by humble bus.
Valbonne Village is the end of the line for a number of bus routes from Nice and Antibes, however most actually end at the gare routiere for the Science Park of "Sophia Antipolis Valbonne" (no relation) . Valbonne Village is around five kilometres further on, and only two or three buses a day extend to the full journey to the village, so careful scrutiny of time tables is required.
The best access is through the fairly frequent bus route 10 from Antibes bus station. Alternatively there are a few direct connections daily on the 230 from Nice, but the bus does make an extended sweep of the vast Science Park, Business hotels, Schools and University en route, none of which is of scenic interest and takes a very very long time.
Getting there is not the problem so much as getting back. With not too much to occupy you in the way of sightseeing in Valbonne Village, that may be sooner than you planned.
